Ribbons are Binding
by LadySakuraForest
Summary: My name is Maimi and I'm am training to be the next Beccio's family boss. It's hard, and I have faced death many times. But I have belief in myself and my family. We will survive. We will live through this, together.
1. Prologue

Welcome all to my story. Before I continue, you must be warned. This is not for very young kids of those who are too innocent to see the truth of life. I am going to tell about my life, not all of it, but important parts. The parts I think everyone should know. So that if a little kid tells your mom to make him your home tutor you can run, run as fast as you can and never look back.

Unfortunetly being the boss of the family means that I can't give you all of my story right here and know, so I will seperate it into chapters. Oh, that's Taiki calling, Asuka must be in trouble again. I will be back with my first chapter soon, so stay tuned, and remember to always be alert. Not everyone in this world is friendly.


	2. My Tutor

Disclaimer: Though I may own this family, this story, and all these words, I do not own Hitman Reborn, after all he is his own person.

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**Chapter One: My Tutor**

I looked at my mom incredulously. "I have a what?" I asked, cleaning my ears to make sure I hadn't miss heard her.

"Starting today, you have a home tutor Maimi! Isn't that just great!" My mom gushed.

But maybe I should introduce myself before going any further. My name is Fukuda Maimi. Yes my last name is first, for those not knowledgeable in Japanese culture. I live in a little town at the base of Mt. Fuji, Japan called Oguri for the chestnut trees that populate it. I am in my third and last year of middle school, and doing pretty well. I'm fourth in my class in grades and fifteenth in my year. Needless to say I was the one that tutored people, I did not need my own tutor.

"Mom, I don't need a tutor. I just got a ninety-eight on this last exam." I said showing her the paper. "Why did you get me a home tutor?"

My mom looked down trodden for a second. But only a second. "But look here Maimi! It says he can teach you anything from manners to self defense, all for just food and board. Isn't that a great deal Maimi!"

"Uh yeah mom, real great." I said giving up. No use trying to argue with my mom when she thought she had done something really good. I just hoped I might be able to convince this so called tutor to leave. "So when's he coming."

"He's here already, in your room! Why don't you go up and great him, I need to make dinner." My mom smiled happily before walking into the kitchen.

I stared after her in shock. Did she just say a total stranger, male no less, was in my room without my permission! I clenched my fists in frustration and stomped upstairs to my room. I stopped as I reached my door and took a deep breath to calm myself before opening it.

Inside was a little kid, looking no older than five, drinking coffee at my desk. I stopped, my thoughts on how to convince my tutor to go leaving my brain in an instant. He was dressed in what looked like a military outfit with a blue pacifier hanging around his neck. He had rather large blue eyes and raggedy blond hair held back by a blue headband going around his forehead. On his head sat a large white bird with black-under sided wings.

"Um, hello." I said to the kid, stepping into my room and throwing my bag on my bed.

"Hello Fukuda Maimi. My name is Colonnello and starting today I will be your home tutor to train you to be the 10th generation Beccio family boss, hey!" The kid, who I then knew was called Colonello, was straightforward, completely serious, and had a weird accent, like Italien or something.

"What?" I asked, staring at him like he was crazy. "What do you mean 10th generation Beccio family boss?"

"The Beccio family is a proud mafia family that follows the alliance with the Vongola family. The 9th boss is getting old and, with the suggestion of Reborn, my rival who is currently training the next Vongola family boss, I am to train you to be suitable for your role, hey!" Colonnello said without taking a breath. I decided then and there that he was insane.

"Mafia boss! I can't be a mafia family boss, I'm a normal teenage girl!" I said in surprise.

"It is true that your certainly don't look like one, hey!" Colonnello agreed. "And it is very rare for females to have what it takes to be a family boss. But if the current 9th of the Beccio family and Reborn have faith in you, then I must to, hey!" He said with a nod.

I sighed, no use trying to reason with a crazy person, it would almost be easier to reason with my mom. But it is true what he said, I look nothing like a mafia boss. I have shoulder length orange pink hair, natural despite rumors, and the same color eyes, both of which I had gotten from my mom. Though they say that I get my average height, strong figure, and nose from my dad. I usually keep my hair in a ponytail with a ribbon, the color of which always changed with my mood. Today it was orange, my favorite color. How ironic, usually only good stuff happens when I wear my orange ribbon.

"Why was I chosen to be the next boss?" I asked indignantly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Well, because you are the current boss's great great niece, hey!" Colonello said, showing me a family tree. "And Reborn thought you would make a good boss once properly trained, hey!"

"Just who is this Reborn. And why do you keep saying hey?" I asked, curiously and irritatedly.

"Reborn is my rival, hey!" Colonello said, rolling his eyes. "And it's just a habit, hey!"

I sighed, once again giving up. "What do I have to do to get you to leave me alone?" I asked placitly.

"Train to be the 10th generation Beccio family boss, hey!" Colonello said.

"Okay." I sighed yet again. "What must I do first?"

But before my new home tutor could answer, my mom called for dinner downstairs and he rushed out the door. I blinked, shook my head, and followed.

You might be wondering about my dad. You see he died a couple years ago in a bad car accident. I still get sad, who wouldn't, but my mom and I try to make the best of it.

Well I suppose now it's not just us. I sighed for the last time that night and sat down at the dinner table next to Colonello.

Later that night, I laid in my bed. Mild insomnia kept me awake at night and made me a light sleeper, but I didn't think that was what was keeping me up tonight. Wondering what was in store for me was not something I often did, but this was a rather strange circumstance.

I rolled over and closed my eyes, telling myself to not worry about it, just go with the flow. 'Free your soul, live though it, and dance.'


	3. My Family

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Tsuna, if anything it's the other way around, he practically being my boss. And by not owning Tsuna I really don't own any of them.

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**Chapter Two: My Family**

I yawned, rubbing my eyes as I walked to school. I didn't get much sleep last night and it was taking a toll.

"If you hadn't stayed up so late last night, you wouldn't be so tired, hey!" Colonello said, flying next to me with his bird, Falco. "Sleep is important to rest tired cells, hey."

"Don't be so hypocritical." I snapped. "It's your fault." I had been training with Colonello ever since that faithful day almost two weeks ago. Since I hardly needed to be tutored in schoolwork, much to Colonello's approval, we worked mostly on self-defense and the memorization of mafia things.

The first was anything from frustrating to exhausting. Colonello isn't the easiest trainer in the world and I just couldn't do what he wanted me to do. I apparently have no ability with guns, swords, knifes, bows and arrows, or about anything with real hurting ability. For which I was secretly grateful. I'm not sure if I would ever actually be able to kill someone. I was pretty good with wires and strings, but there wasn't much I could with just that except choke someone to death. I was really more of a dancer than any kind of fighter.

The second was fascinating. White I wasn't one for violence; I've always been interested in different cultures. And the mafia culture was intricate and well just absolutely fascinating. I had to memorize several families and important bosses in the past, plus some future ones, like Vongola the 10th. I felt a certain kinship to Tsuna, thrust out of his normal life and into the world of the mafia, just like me.

"So are you going to follow me all the way to school?" I asked my tutor irritably. I really didn't want to have to explain the little guy to my friends.

"No, I'll see you later today, hey." And without another word he flew, or rather was flown courtesy of Falco, towards my school. Where do I go to school? Well that is of course Fujiwara Middle School. As I already told you I'm in 3rd year, Class 3-A. Top of the school and top of the grade.

I blinked sleepily and continued my trek towards school. I was almost there when I was suddenly attacked from the side.

"Mai-chan!" Came the war cry. I do believe Colonello's training saved my life, as I just in time was able to step out of the way on pure reflexes. Wait I could do that before Colonello came. Oh well, I'll give him credit for making me all of 3 seconds faster at doing it.

Well anyways, as I narrowly escaped my doom, I caught a glimpse of golden-brown hair in pigtails rushing past me. It stopped just before it hit a pole and came rushing back, except at a slower rate. Finally I could make out a girl slightly taller than me with cheerful hazel eyes in the same brown school uniform as me.

"Hyper as ever I see Asuka-chan." I said with a smile. Yoshikuni Asuka has been my best friend since, well, as long as I remember. And as long as I remember we have always been in the same class.

"Maimi-chan! I haven't seen you in so long!" Asuka pouted, giving me a quick, but not quite painless, hug.

"It's only been a couple weeks." I said smartly. Truthfully I missed her also, and I would have loved to been able to hang out with her during those two weeks. Unfortunately, Colonello managed to plan his arrival to the evening after school let out for summer break. Today was the first day back in school for 14 days. 14 days of pure torture. With all the training I had no time for my friends.

"Yeah that is so not long." Asuka said, rolling her eyes.

"Come on the bell's going to ring soon." I said, smiling at my best friend's antics. She grinned at me, showing me I was forgiven, and we rushed off in the direction of the Middle School.

We managed to get in our seats just as the bell rang.

"Close one." Asuka said, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"I'll say." I agreed.

"Why do you two always end up almost late every day when I know for a fact that Asuka, you leave earlier than me?" A voice sitting behind us asked. We turned to smile at our good friend. Tall, black haired, blue eyed, Iino Taiki.

Taiki and Asuka live in the same apartment complex, which was actually on the other side of the school from my house. But Asuka used to live next to me in a house, before her parents started to get a divorce and she moved in with her older brother. Apparently she missed walking with me in the morning so much that she woke up early just so we could walk together.

Just as Asuka opened her mouth to answer him, our sensei called attention and we were given no chance to talk again until it was time to go out to gym.

"So what were you doing during the break?" Asuka asked me curiously as we changed into a gym clothes.

"What did you do?" I asked back, not wanting to explain mafia training to her.

"No fair, I asked first." Asuka whined. I raised my eyebrow at her and she conceded. "Me and Taiki went to the beach with his parents and my brother."

"It's Taiki and I." I corrected her. Then smiled evilly. "Isn't Taiki hot without a shirt on?"

Asuka blushed bright red and said nothing. We moved on to other topics, like her love of cute key chains and the color of my ribbon today, neon-yellow for me being annoyed at Colonello.

All conversation stopped, at least on my part, as we entered the gym. I stared wide-eyed at our new instructor.

"Colonello!?" I exclaimed. My military imitating tutor blinked at me innocently.

"You know Oberst-sensei?" Taiki asked, running up to us.

"Um yeah. Except his name is Colonello. He's my home tutor." I said, angry that he had kept the fact that he would me my new gym teacher from me. That was why he said he would see me at school. I sighed.

"You have a home tutor? Since when? Why would you even need a home tutor?" Asuka said startled and slightly indignant.

"Um since the day summer break started. My mom just decided she wanted me to have one, I guess." I said, annoyed again, this time at myself for getting on this subject. Luckily Asuka and Taiki let the matter drop as Colonello, I mean Oberst-sensei started.

The rest of gym was pure torture for most of the students. I trained with Colonello every day already, but the rest weren't used to his erratic teaching styles. The only other two that could keep up with me in my extremely fit state, courtesy of you know who, was my two friends Asuka and Taiki. Asuka because well she always had so much energy, and Taiki because he frequently works out.

It was kind of surprising how bad the others were, but I suppose that just goes to show you that smart people just don't usually exercise much. Which is very hypocritical of me to say. I sighed again.

Later that day, Taiki and I were in charge of cleaning duty. Asuka stayed to help us so we could head over to my house to homework. Unbeknownst to me, Chiba Michiko, the purple haired 'magician' of the school had detention for showing a trick to a fellow student in the middle of class. Loner 2nd year, Koizumi Nao, was also in charge of cleaning duty. And Akimoto Masato and Yamaguchi Chiharu, 3rd years from a different school, were heading over to Fujiwara Middle School to deliver a message to our school counselor.

"Done." I said proudly, putting my broom in the closet.

"Us too!" Asuka stated happily, running up to me with Taiki lagging behind.

"Great, let's—" I was cut off as the intercom beeped.

"All students please head over to the cafeteria immediately, hey." Came the unmistakable voice of my home tutor.

"What is he up to?" I growled, glaring at the speaker in the ceiling.

"We'd better go." Taiki said and we rushed off to the cafeteria.

Upon reaching there we saw it empty.

"I guess we're the first ones here." Asuka said, looking around.

"I guess so." I agreed as we walked in.

We heard the door open and in walked Chiba Michiko, her purple hair in the usual ponytail with some hanging down on her right side. Michiko was renowned as the school's magician. She knew every trick in the book and some that weren't and was able to pull them off so well that even professional magicians have started to take an interest in her.

"Michiko-chan!" Asuka yelled, attempting to hug the 2nd year.

"Asuka-sempai, get off me." Michiko said, attempting to push the exited girl away.

"You two know each other?" I asked as Taiki and I walked up to the two.

"We were once stuck in an elevator together a couple years ago." Asuka said. I blinked, but before I could say anything, Asuka was introducing us. "Michiko-chan, this is my best friend, Fukuda Maimi and my other good friend, Iino Taiki. Guys, this is Chiba Michiko."

"Nice to meet you Chiba-san." I said.

"Just Michiko is fine." She said with of flick of her purple locks.

We heard the door open again, we all turned. A boy with straight black hair much like Taiki's, but with longer bangs, with pilot goggles on his forehead, and violet eyes, walked in.

"Michiko-san." The boy nodded to the magician girl.

"Nao-san." She nodded back.

Introductions were made and we found the boy to be another 2nd year in Michiko's class, 2-B, named Koizumi Nao. He was a bit of loner it seemed, who's family was rich. He already has his pilot license at age 14 and owns his own private plane.

Just as those introductions were finishing, two more people walked in. One was a tall blond hair, green-eyed boy and the other was a long straight black haired, black eyed girl.

We started at each other silently for a moment. Then the girl stepped forward.

"Hello, I am Yamaguchi Chiharu and this is Akimoto Masato. We are third years from Saluki Middle School. We were sent here to deliver a message to your school counselor, but she seems to be absent, then we head the announcement so we came here." The girl, we now knew was Chiharu, said softly.

Introductions were again made. And yet again as they finished someone else walked, or rather flew in.

"Ah good, you're all here, hey." Colonello said. "For those that don't know me, I am Colonello, also known as Oberst-sensei, hey. I hope you have all become acquainted with each other, hey."

"What's this about Colonello?" I asked irritably, stepping forward with my arms crossed around my chest.

"I'll answer your questions later, if you survive, hey." Colonello said smoothly. "Take these weapons, you'll need them, hey." And with a poof he was gone, leaving only one thing at the feet of each person.

"Hey my Kursai Gama. I was wondering were it went." Nao commented as he picked up a thing that looked like a sicle with a long chain attached to it that ended in a spiked ball, only about the size of his fist.

"Oh look a key chains!" Asuka exclaimed, picking up several normal looking key chains, with various animals on them. "And there's a note!" She said, looking at a yellow flashcard. "It says, 'These aren't ordinary key chains, use them wisely. –C'"

"That's weird." Taiki said, as he picked up two black things, each with two poles about a foot in length connected by a short chain. From a blue flashcard he read, "Nunchaku."

"What the hell." Masato said as he looked down at an array of throwing axes, daggers, and darts. Luckily they were each in bags which according to his red flashcard went on his 'left leg, both shoes, wrists, and attached his belt.'

"Oh, a glaive." Chiharu said, reading from her green flashcard as she picked up a long staff with a blade attached to one end.

"A scythe?" Michiko questioned, looking at her indigo flashcard and back to the long grim reaper weapon. "And caltrops?" She looked at the spike things arranged on a belt to wear around her waist. She shrugged and put it on, admiring at it's fit. Similarly, the others were testing out their new weapons in slight awe. With the exception of Nao, who seemed to already be familiar with his kursai gama.

I looked down at my feet to see simple white ballet looking shoes, which I slipped on just to see. They fit like a charm. As soon as they were on, something weird happened. They turned neon-yellow. Which as I already said, was the color of my ribbon today. Then the ribbon holding my hair up twitched, like it was alive, and started to grow. Soon it was almost 20 feet long. I took it out of my hair, and yelled as it started to form itself around my right hand. I looked quickly around to find an orange flashcard, which said. 'Just wish for the ribbon and it will come.' I blinked, shrugged, and tried it. I thought of a ribbon coming out of the glove, about 5 feet in length. And one did!

"Cool." Asuka said as she watched me twirl it around experimentally.

"Okay. What now?" I asked, making the ribbon go back in the glove again.

"What do you mean?" Michiko asked, fingering her scythe.

"I do believe this is a test." Nao answered calmly. "We will most likely be attacked by some mafia members soon."

"How do you know about that?" I asked, surprised.

"My father is part of the Beccio family." Nao said. "My question is how do you know Colonello, one of the seven arcobaleno?"

Before I could answer, or ask what an arcobaleno was, a loud crash was heard and through the roof of our cafeteria came a lot of men dressed in black suits.

"Here they come." Nao said, turning towards the intrusion. He wasted no time in uncurling his kursai gama and flinging the chain ball at the first guys he saw, bringing his close enough to hit him on the head with the sickle, efficiently knocking him out.

The rest of us started at each other, shrugged, and helped. Taiki whirled his Nunchaku like he had been doing it his whole life. Every time Asuka threw one of her keychains, a mild explosion would happen, each one slightly different. For instance, the whale keychain created an explosion that flung water bullets at all nearby enemy. Chiharu wielded her glaive expertly, knocking several people off their feet at a time. Masato was throwing his sharp weapons left and right, with amazing accuracy. Michiko was amazing, confusing the men with her magic tricks, right into her carefully place caltrops, where they either fell to their doom, or were brought there by a careful whack of her scythe.

For a moment I just watched them all in amazement. Then I was attacked from the side and, for real this time, Colonello's training saved my life. I dogged, light on my feet, and called forth a long strand of my ribbon. Wrapping it around the man from afar I flung him into another rushing at me. Then several more came and I was forced to give the saving of my life as much to my previous skill in dancing than to Colonello's training. I dogged and swerved like I was doing a lyrical dance, tripping them with my ribbon or my legs. I was having so much fun that I didn't notice the guy sneak up behind me. Luckily Asuka did.

"Duck Maimi!" She screamed, as she threw her elephant keychain. I dropped to the floor in my splits quickly, just in time to see the man behind me thrown to the opposite wall of the cafeteria by the very heavy key chain.

"Thanks Asuka." I said gratefully. And with that the spell was broken. Suddenly we weren't just fighting, we were fighting together.

In the span of 15 minutes all the black suited men were on the floor groaning while we sustained minimal injuries.

"Well done, hey. " Colonello applauded us, coming out of nowhere.

"Where were you?" I growled at him, annoyed as ever. He didn't answer, instead he spoke to all of us.

"Congratulations on beating your first test. I now authorize you as an official family, hey." He said.

"What is this all about." Masato said with a short temper.

"Maimi here has been training the last couple weeks to be the next Beccio family boss, hey." Colonello explained. "And you are to be her family, to support her through it all. Welcome to the life of mafia, hey."

"You've been what? Maimi-chan why didn't you tell me!" Asuka said pouting.

"Sorry." I said. Glaring at my tutor. "I didn't want you to be dragged into this."

"Well it's a little sudden, but you should know, we'll always be here for you." Taiki said. Asuka nodded.

"As weird as it might be, it sounds like fun." Michiko said, still fingering her scythe.

"I have no problem with it, father would probably want it anyways." Nao shrugged.

Masato and Chiharu looked at each other, then back at the rest of us.

"I don't know, but I guess I could try. I mean, this was kind of fun." Chiharu said, looking at the rows of fallen mafia people.

"It's a way to blow off steam definitely." Masato said with a grin.

They all looked at me. "So what do we do first, boss?" Asuka said with a smile.

I couldn't help but smile back as Colonello looked on at us in approval.


End file.
